When Dan Åkesson looked up at the starry sky in his teens, it was physics and astronomy that attracted him the most. But during his technical upper-secondary education, he became interested in chemistry. This led him on to studies at Lund University, where he trained as a civil engineer. Today, he is Professor of Polymer Technology.

Ola Svensson’s fascination with fish began as a child at home, gazing at the aquarium. This interest grew into a lifelong curiosity about how evolutionary processes shape life in our ecosystems – and eventually led him into research. Today, he is Professor of Ecology and specialises in how fish reproduction and sexual selection drive speciation and adaptation in nature.

In the village of Seglora, south of Borås, lies a multi-generational home where new professor Anita Pettersson lights the evening fire in the small wood stove in the evenings. She gets comfortable in front of the flames as she reads doctoral theses. But becoming an academic and researcher was not in her plans when she finished lower-secondary school.

Mats Tinnsten has decided to leave his position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Borås. He is leaving this role in order to pursue other things in life.